Refuge
by Anneliza
Summary: When Demyx finds Zexion crying in the library, he tries to help him.
1. Chapter 1

Demyx opened the door to the library very quietly and slipped in.

He looked around to see if anyone was in the library, but no one was in sight.

'Where is he? He should be here by now?'

He started sneaking through the library but couldn't find anyone.

When he heard quiet sobs he was confused.

There was no one in the library, he was sure. He had inspected every inch, but there was no one.

Deciding that he couldn't trust his eyes, he followed his ears to the very back and walked until he hit something with his foot.

He heard a small gasp.

"Zexion?"

He heard someone stand up and start to slide past him.

On a guess, he reached out and grasped something.

He knew he had someone's wrist when he tried to pull it back.

"Zexion?" he asked again.

He tightened his grip on the wrist until he knew the person couldn't get away.

"Please let me go," the person begged. "I don't want to be around anyone right now."

"Why are you hiding from me?"

"I'm not hiding from you, I'm hiding from everyone. I just want to be alone. Please."

"Don't run away. Tell me what's wrong."

"Demyx, don't make me."

"Please Zexion. Tell me what's upset you?"

He heard a deep breath and smiled thinking that he was going to shut down his illusion.

A book on the shelf flew off and smacked him in the shoulder.

Surprised, Demyx let go off the small wrist and Zexion opened a portal and left.

He sighed and walked to the basement labs.

Vexen would know why Zexion was crying.

He knocked on the door and waited.

"Come in."

He walked into the lab and saw Vexen busily scurrying around the room.

"Can I help you with something, Nine?"

"Do you know why Zexion was crying in the library?"

Vexen dropped the beaker he was inspected as he spun around.

"Zexion was crying?" Vexen demanded as he stared at Demyx with wide eyes.

"Yeah. He was hidden by an illusion but I could still hear him and touch him.

Vexen appeared deep in thought.

"He must have been too distracted to cast his illusion properly."

He was quiet for a little while and Demyx waited patiently.

"I wonder if HE did something," he muttered almost to himself.

"Who?"

Vexen came back to himself.

"No one!" he snapped. "Just go away and leave him alone!"

Demyx was taken aback by Vexen's sudden mood change and took a step towards the door.

When Vexen continued to glare at him he turned around and walked out of the lab.

"What did you do?" he demanded. "Did you do that to Zexion?"

The man didn't answer.

"You bastard! You promised you wouldn't do anything to hurt him!"

A hand slammed into him into a wall and held him by the throat.

Vexen started gasping as he stared into those cool eyes.

"You won't tell anyone about this," he hissed before Vexen passed out.

Zexion appeared in his room and laid down on his bed, still sobbing.

'Why? Why did he have to do that?' he moaned in his head.

Flashbacks kept playing before his eyes.

He was being backed into the wall and trapped there.

He stared up at the other man with wide, terrified eyes.

'Wh-what are you doing?' he stuttered.

'Shut up,' the man ordered and slapped him.

He froze and the man pinned his hands above his head.

'Please stop.'

The man ignored him.

'I don't want this!'

'I said shut up!' the man said as he hit him again.

Zexion touched his face where the man had hit him and felt a bruise.

Tears clouded his eyes again.

Someone knocked on his door and he cast an illusion over himself.

He watched the door open slowly and he tensed.

When Demyx's head peered around the door, he relaxed slightly.

"Zexion? Are you here?"

Zexion stayed still and let his illusion hide him.

Demyx sighed and sat down next to him on the bed.

Zexion didn't dare move a muscle as he stared at Demyx.

"Zexy, why do you push me away? I just want to help you. What happened to you? Who hurt you? You think you can hide so well, but you don't realize how much slips through and I notice. Why don't you trust anyone?"

Zexion accidentally let his hand touch Demyx.

"Zexion?" Demyx asked in confusion.

Demyx reached out to Zexion who shrank back.

"Zexion? Please let me see you."

Zexion didn't want to, but he felt like he could trust Demyx.

He closed his eyes and slowly dissolved his illusion.

Demyx gasped as he saw the state Zexion was in.

His clothes were tattered and his body was covered in bruises and blood.

"Zexion…what happened?"

Zexion looked away from him.

"I messed up my mission and the Heartless outnumbered me. That's all."

"Heartless don't have hands, Zexion," he said as he gently touched the mark on his face. "Someone obviously hit you." Zexion's eyes lowered to the ground. "Who was it?"

Zexion stayed quiet.

"Please Zexion!" Demyx begged. "I just want to help!"

"It was Lexaeus," someone said from the door.

They turned to see Vexen.

Zexion paled and tried to run away.

Seeing him trying to escape, Vexen covered his arm in ice to keep him in place.

"I told you to stay away from him. You know he's mentally unstable and that you're not very strong. What happened?"

Zexion looked ashamed and more than a little scared.

"He caught me alone. I wasn't expecting him and couldn't do anything to stop him."

"What did he do?" Demyx asked.

"Did he rape you?"

Zexion stiffened at the word.

"I thought so. He hinted at it when we were talking earlier."

Zexion's head shot up to look at Vexen.

"You talked to him? What happened?"

Vexen pulled the edge of his coat back to reveal the imprint of large hands around his throat.

"Vexen!" Zexion yelled with more tears in his eye.

"It's okay. I only passed out. I'm going to talk to Superior about him. He hurt two of the highest members, one higher than him."

Demyx put an arm around Zexion's shoulders.

"It's okay Zexy. He'll be punished and he won't touch you or Vexen again."

Zexion nodded slowly but didn't feel completely at ease.

* * *

><p>AN: I know that Lex isn't a bad person, but who else would fit?<p>

This is before Demyx and Zexion were a pair. I've been writing backwards lately...hmm...

Anyway! This will be continued! ^_^

See ya then!


	2. Chapter 2

Vexen approached the door to Xemnas's office and knocked.

"Come in," the man called.

He opened the door and stepped inside.

Xemnas was sitting behind his desk with his usual expression planted across his face.

"What is it, IV?" he asked without any emotion in his voice.

"I need to talk to you about Zexion."

Xemnas raised an eyebrow.

"Are you finally sick of him?"

Vexen's eyes shot open in surprise.

"No! Of course not!"

"Then what do you want?"

"Lexaeus raped him," he said bluntly.

Xemnas's eyes widened a little but he didn't show any other signs of interest.

"And why does that concern me?"

Vexen stared at him in shock.

"Surely you see the problem, Superior!"

"Enlighten me."

"IX, found him in the library with an illusion hiding him from sight. He could still hear and touch him though which shows how upset Zexion is. IX persuaded him to show himself and he was in pieces. His clothes were torn and he was covered in blood and bruises. I had already talked to Lexaeus about the situation but that conversation had spiraled out of control and we ended up fighting." Vexen unzipped the top of his coat to reveal the dark bruises around his throat. "And this came out of it."

The bruises finally startled Xemnas.

"V attacked you?"

Vexen nodded.

"He IS aware that you're a higher position than he is, correct?"

Vexen nodded again.

"And he still tried to kill you?"

"I only passed out. After that, he left."

Xemnas stayed quiet for some time and Vexen held his tongue.

He knew that even a sound while his superior was thinking could cause the conversation to turn sour.

"I will talk to V and make him aware of his mistake."

"Thank you Superior."

Xemnas just returned to his work so Vexen left.

* * *

><p>"V, you are not allowed to be alone with IV or VI or within twenty feet of either."<p>

"What about at meetings?" Lexaeus asked with a small smirk.

Xemnas glared at him.

"Meetings are fine because the rest of us will be there so you can't do anything."

Lexaeus felt himself frown.

"May I ask what sparked this?" he asked as politely as he could.

"It was brought to my attention that you attacked member higher than you and tried to kill him. I was also made aware of the way you treated the member right below you."

Lexaeus's eyes lowered.

'That runt reported me to the Superior? This is NOT the end of this."

Xemnas noticed Lexaeus's change in expression.

"Are you listening to me, V?"

Lexaeus snapped back to the conversation.

He forced a small smile on his face.

"Of course Superior," he said with a small bow. "I will not forget what we've talked about."

'And I won't.'

* * *

><p>Zexion made Demyx leave his room shortly after Vexen left.<p>

The other boy had tried to refuse and stay with him, but Zexion had nearly forced him to go.

He DID want the comfort the other brought, but he just couldn't handle it right then.

'Why did this have to happen?' he thought as he pulled his knees up to his chest and put his head on them. 'Why did it have to be me? Almost any of the others would have been able to handle the abuse, but I'm…'

He let the sentence trail off. He didn't want to think about how Vexen always told him to be careful because he wasn't as strong as the others.

Vexen wasn't much stronger than him but he knew that he was referring to the state he had once found him in.

Zexion closed his eyes and tried to stop the memories.

* * *

><p>Vexen returned to his lab to finish his work.<p>

'Why is this happening again? Does he just draw misfortune about him?'

He sighed and put his head on the table. He had no effort to deal with everything that had happened.

The door opened behind him, but he didn't notice the visitor until they were behind him and slipping their arms around him.

He tensed.

"What's wrong Vexy?" the visitor asked and he sighed in relief.

'It's just Marluxia.'

"It's nothing. I'm just tired."

"Is that the truth?"

Vexen could only nod weakly.

He closed his eyes when he felt Marluxia kiss the back of his head.

Marluxia smirked when he felt the room cool down.

'Something is obviously bothering him. At least I can help him relax.'

He slowly turned Vexen's seat around to face him.

"You're obviously troubled Vexy. This room was practically on fire with your nerves acting up."

Vexen sighed. Marluxia knew him too well.

"It's nothing you need to worry about. It doesn't concern you and I would like it to stay that way."

Marluxia was puzzled but he didn't let it show.

'What could have affected him so deeply?'

He knew that Vexen would tell him eventually so he let it drop.

Vexen sighed happily when Marluxia stopped asking and started kissing him again.

Marluxia grasped Vexen's zipper and made to pull it down a couple inches to kiss his neck, but Vexen stopped him.

He pulled back to look at the scientist.

"What is it?"

"Can we just stop there? I have to work."

Marluxia frowned.

Vexen never stopped him when he was stressed.

The other man reached up to his hand and tried to pull it away from his zipper.

Marluxia noticed and tightened his grip on the small piece of metal.

"What don't you want me to see Vexen?"

"N-Nothing."

"You're lying and you know it."

Vexen shook his head desperately.

Marluxia stared him in the eyes before pulling the zipper down violently.

His eyes widened at the bruises on Vexen's neck.

Vexen paled.

"What happened?" Marluxia asked as his face hardened.

Vexen looked away from the cold eyes.

"Lexaeus," he said simply. "Demyx found Zexion crying in the library but Zexion wouldn't say anything about it so he came to talk to me. He told me about Zexion and I went to talk to Lexaeus. We got into a small fight that culminated in this," he said as he gestured to the bruises.

"Why did you do it?" Marluxia asked with sadness in his voice.

Vexen was really hurting and he couldn't help.

"He raped Zexion. Of course I would go after him."

"He RAPED Zexion?"

Vexen nodded.

"That bastard!" Marluxia yelled as he headed for the door. "I'm going to go and tell him what I think of what he's done!"

Vexen's eyes widened and he leapt off his seat to grab Marluxia's arm.

"No! Don't! This is why I didn't want you to know! He'll attack you too!"

Marluxia turned to face the terrified scientist.

He pulled him into his arms and rubbed his back gently.

"I'll be okay. I'm going to be his Superior soon and he can't attack me."

He kissed Vexen's forehead before letting him go.

"I'll be back soon."

* * *

><p>AN: Lexaeus has a restraining order now. Will it help? Will Zexion be able to recover? What will happen to Marluxia? STAY TUNED!<p>

XD I love doing that. But seriously, they are good questions.


	3. Chapter 3

Zexion sat on the middle of his bed in his protective position.

Someone knocked on his door and he looked at it with fearful eyes.

The person didn't wait for an answer and just walked in.

'Lexaeus.'

The big man looked around the room for him and he made his illusion stronger.

"I know you're here Zexion," he said in a threatening voice.

Zexion tried to get off the bed discreetly, but he slipped and crashed to the ground.

Lexaeus immediately spun to face him.

"There you are."

Zexion's eyes widened as the man walked up to him and grabbed him by the neck.

"If you shut down your illusion, it'll be better for you," he hissed.

Zexion tried to pry the man's hands from his throat but he just tightened them instead.

"Shut it down."

It went against everything his instincts were screaming at him, but he complied.

Lexaeus released his throat and instead kept him against the wall with his intimidation.

He tenderly touched the bruise on Zexion's cheek and the boy flinched.

Lexaeus noticed and lowered his eyes.

"I was gentle with you," he said harshly.

Zexion stared at him in shock.

"THAT was gentle? What is forceful for you?"

Lexaeus smirked and leaned towards him.

"Do you want to know?"

Zexion shook his head quickly.

"N-NO!"

"You don't sound very sure of that."

Zexion kept shaking his head.

Lexaeus frowned and picked him up.

"Put-put me down!"

Lexeaus ignored him and laid him on the bed, sitting on his legs to keep him in place.

"Don't!"

The big man glared at him before slapping him across the face again.

Tears sprung into Zexion's eyes but he fought to keep them in.

Lexeaus noticed and laughed.

"Go ahead. Cry. Be the little bitch you are."

The tears struggled harder at that but Zexion was not going to cry in front of the man.

Lexeaus frowned.

"I told you to cry!" he demanded as he slapped Zexion again.

Zexion let a single tear fall out of his eye.

That was all he was going to give the other man.

Lexaeus wasn't happy about what he had done and grabbed his hair.

Zexion let out a yelp of pain and tried to grab the top of his head.

Lexeaus grabbed his hands with one of his own and pulled them away sharply.

They heard a pop and Zexion bit his lip to stop himself from screaming.

Lexeaus let go of his hands knowing that he wasn't going to be able to use them anymore.

He reached down and ripped the cloak off the small boy.

"N-NO! DON'T!" Zexion yelled in terror.

Lexaeus glared at him and punched him in the stomach.

"Be quiet!"

Zexion whimpered in terror as the big man's attention moved south.

* * *

><p>Vexen sat on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands.<p>

'Marluxia,' he thought. 'Please be okay. Lexeaus is crazy.'

He tried to think of Ienzo to make himself feel better.

Pictures of Zexion when he was Ienzo flashed in his mind and he smiled at them.

He suddenly remembered the terrible day.

_'Where has that child run off to this time?' he wondered as he walked through the halls of the castle. 'He's not usually late but he gets distracted by things outside the castle sometimes.'_

_As he passed the door to a storeroom he heard quiet sobs._

_Curious, he opened the door._

_His stomach dropped._

_"IENZO!"_

_The boy didn't move._

_His heart started racing as he scooped the tiny body into his arms and ran for the lab._

_Even kicked open the door and startled the other apprentices that were inside._

_"What the hell Even? What's wrong with-?" Braig stopped when he saw what the man was carrying._

_He jumped out of his seat along with Dilan and dashed over to him._

_"What the hell happened?" Dilan demanded as he took Ienzo's appearance in._

_"I have no idea! I found him like this!" Even exclaimed._

_Dilan cleared off one of the tables so Even could lay the boy down._

_Ienzo's clothes were dyed red, along with his hair, and he was breathing weakly._

_Cuts, bruises, and stab marks ranged all over his body and the long cut over his right eye was bleeding badly._

_"Who the hell would do this? What has he EVER done to ANYONE?"_

_Even stared at the small form sadly._

_He had let something happen to the little boy he cared so much for._

_Dilan noticed Even's face._

_"It's not your fault Even. Don't beat yourself up."_

_Even hung his head._

_"I'm supposed to be taking care of him. I failed."_

_"You didn't fail," Braig said in a comforting voice. "For all we know, someone wants to get rid of all the apprentices and they caught Ienzo first."_

_Even was surprised about the Braig was acting._

_Ienzo started gasping and all attention was turned back to him._

_Even's eyes widened fearfully and he raced around the room collecting all the supplies he would need._

_"I'm gonna assume that that wasn't a good sign?" Braig asked._

_Even didn't say anything as he brought all the equipment back._

_He placed an oxygen mask over Ienzo's face but that did nothing to help his gasping._

_"Damn it," Even muttered. "This is bad."_

_"What is it?"_

_"His lung is punctured. If we don't do something about it NOW, he'll die."_

_Both Dilan's and Braig's eyes widened._

_"Shit!"_

_They stared at the little boy they had helped to raise._

_What would it be like without him around?_

_Neither could bear to imagine it._

_"You two might want to look away," Even said as he prepared to work on the almost lifeless form._

_"We'll do whatever we can to help," Dilan said confidently and Braig nodded beside him._

_"They can one of you make sure he's still getting oxygen?"_

_"I'll do that," Braig said._

_"Then I'll need you to help me stop the bleeding, Dilan."_

_"I'll try my hardest."_

_The three set to work._

* * *

><p>AN: I was supposed to fit both Marluxia AND Demyx in there, but...these needed their space. They'll be in the next chappie though!<p>

Lex is NOT happy about the restraining order so he lets Zexion know about it. Poor Zexy.

And I've always wondered why people say Zexion is weaker than all the other members...not physically (usually) but they say that his immune system is bad and things like that. ? I have no idea so this is MY version of why he's weaker.

See ya soon!


	4. Chapter 4

Demyx was in the hall when he heard noises coming from Zexion's room.

'Is that Zexy?' he wondered. 'What's he doing?'

"N-NO! DON'T!"

"Be quiet!"

Demyx's eyes flew open and he ran for the door.

Slamming the door open he gasped.

Zexion was in only his boxers with Lexaeus on top of him, hand on the edge of the elastic and his arms jerked to the sides in a strange angle.

"ZEXION!" he yelled in terror.

Lexaeus glared at the interruption.

"IX," he started with a clear threat in his voice. "Turn around right now and leave."

"No," Demyx said firmly. "Leave Zexion alone."

"IX, I WILL kill you."

"Go ahead and try. I know you think I'm weak but that doesn't mean I won't fight you."

Zexion's eyes widened.

He couldn't let Demyx die because of him.

"Please go, Demyx," he begged.

"Not if he's going to keep hurting you like this!"

Lexaeus narrowed his eyes.

"IX, you really don't want to fight me. I will annihilate you."

Demyx stood his ground and summoned his sitar.

"Come on then!"

Lexaeus glared at him for a little bit then stood up.

Zexion was relieved when he felt the pressure lift from his legs but he felt terrified for Demyx.

"Demyx go! He'll kill you! This doesn't concern you!"

Demyx looked at him.

"It isn't fair to you, Zexion. He can't keep abusing you!"

"What happens during our personal time," Lexaeus said suddenly, "isn't any of your business, IX."

"If it hurts someone then it is!"

Zexion just stared at the angry pair and tried to sit up.

Lexaeus noticed the movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Don't move."

Zexion shuddered at the cold voice and laid back down.

"Don't listen to him Zexy! You're strong enough to take care of yourself! Don't let Lexaeus push you around!"

Zexion shook his head.

"No I'm not," he whispered.

"And don't you forget it," Lexaeus shot at him.

"Zexy, you're The Cloaked Schemer! What does this brute have that you don't?"

Zexion looked panicky as he stared at Lexaeus's back.

Lexaeus glared at him.

"I can't tell you," he said quietly as he turned his face away.

"Good boy," Lexaeus said harshly then faced Demyx. "Where were we? Oh yes. I believe I was about to kill you."

He advanced on the musician.

"Please don't Lexaeus," Zexion begged. "Just leave him alone?"

Lexaeus spun to face him and Zexion shuddered.

"Stay out of this!" he demanded as he slapped Zexion.

Zexion cried out and Demyx felt like he was on fire.

"Don't hit him!" he screamed as he ran at the bigger man with an attack ready.

The man spun around and hit him in the face, making him fall to the ground.

"Demyx!"

The hit didn't keep the blonde down for long.

He jumped back to his feet.

The hit had knocked him close to the bed Zexion was on and he smiled.

He grabbed Zexion around the waist, ignoring the gasp that left the boy's lips, and pulled him close protectively.

"Let go of him, IX. Now," Lexaeus said icily.

"No! I'm not going to leave him here with you!"

Lexaeus started walking slowly towards them.

"Zexion," he started fiercely, "come back here."

Zexion tried to move around Demyx, but Demyx wouldn't let him.

He started shaking at the look on the man's face.

"Now Zexion!"

The boy's shaking increased and he fought to get to the man.

"No Zexion. Don't go near him." Demyx lowered his voice. "Is there anything you can do? An illusion would really help right now."

Zexion shook his head.

"Can you try?"

Zexion closed his eyes and it looked like he was crying.

"Can't you see that he wants to be with me, IX? Look at his face."

While it appeared like Zexion was crying, he was actually concentrating on creating an illusion.

A small, transparent barrier enclosed Lexaeus but the man had no idea.

Zexion nodded slowly.

Demyx understood and opened a portal to the labs knowing that Lexaeus would not be able to follow them.

He pushed Zexion ahead of him and followed him through.

Lexaeus didn't know they had left the room.

All he saw was Zexion trembling behind Demyx and trying to get back to him.

* * *

><p>Vexen jumped up at the sound of someone in his lab.<p>

"Marluxia?" he called as he ran into the room.

He wasn't greeted by the sight of the botanist, but instead a very angry Demyx and a terrified Zexion.

"What happened?" he yelled as he dashed over to the pair.

He gingerly touched Zexion's face but he pulled back.

"Lexaeus. I heard noise in his room and him shouting 'stop'. So I ran in to find Lexaeus on top of him."

Vexen had been paying close attention to Demyx, but he turned to face Zexion.

"Did he rape you again?"

Zexion closed his eyes and shook his head.

"He didn't get the opportunity too. I caught them before he could take his boxers."

Vexen's face looked soft as he viewed the broken boy in front of him.

His eyes traveled down his form, taking in all the injuries, new and old.

"Zexion, can you sit down?"

The boy nodded and sat down on a stool.

"I'm going to give you a sedative so I can treat you. Okay?"

Zexion nodded again.

Vexen picked up a nearby syringe and slowly injected it into the boy's arm.

Zexion's eye slowly closed and he started to fall backwards.

Demyx caught him in his arms.

"Where do I take him?"

"Let him sleep in the backroom. It's set up to be a temporary hospital room."

"Why did you have all this ready?"

Vexen looked away.

"I'm worried about Marluxia."

Demyx nodded and carried Zexion into the room.

* * *

><p>AN: Lexy is gonna be maaaaaad. And it doesn't help that Marluxia is looking for him to destroy him.<p>

There's gonna be Zemyx in the next chappie! ^_^ And possibly a very peeved Marly. XD

See ya then!


	5. Chapter 5

Demyx watched Zexion sleep fitfully.

The boy seemed to be having some sort of nightmare in his drug induced sleep.

Given recent events, it wasn't hard to guess what he was dreaming about.

Demyx reached out and gently stroked his hair.

"It's okay Zexy," he said quietly.

Zexion calmed down slightly and Demyx continued stroking his hair.

Demyx found his hand resting on the edge of the long bangs that hid the other half of Zexion's face.

'Why doesn't he ever show anyone his face? I bet it's beautiful,' he thought sadly. 'Like the rest of him'

He started to pull back the edge of the boy's bangs.

"Demyx!" someone snapped at him and he let go; the hair falling back into place.

He turned to the doorway to see Vexen glaring at him with a tray in his hands.

"What do you think you were doing?" he demanded.

"I just wanted to see the other side of his face," Demyx said sheepishly. He had no idea why Vexen was making such a fuss about some hair.

"Did he tell you that you could?"

Demyx shook his head.

"I thought so. It's his business so stay out of it."

"That's exactly what he said about Lexaeus abusing him! Why am I not allowed to know any of his business?"

Vexen put the tray down next to the bed and sighed.

"Demyx, you don't understand. He hides his face for a reason. Don't pester him about it. If he ever wants you to know, he'll show you himself. He doesn't want to see it and he doesn't want to remember. If you try and force him to show you his face he'll have a breakdown and he'll never trust you again. No matter what."

"What happened to him?" Demyx asked with a concerned voice as he looked back at the sleeping boy.

Vexen sighed again and sat down.

"I can't tell you much because I have no right to tell you, but I can tell you a little." He paused and thought carefully about his words. "First of all, you know that Zexion's Somebody's name was 'Ienzo', right?"

Demyx nodded. He had heard that before.

"Did you know that Ienzo didn't talk?"

Demyx stared at him in amazement.

"What?"

Vexen turned away from Demyx to look at Zexion's face.

"There's a reason Zexion doesn't talk too much. It took me years to finally coax a sentence out of him and I kept working at increasing his speech, but then we died and became Nobodies, almost completely destroying my progress with him. He was so scared and shocked that he reverted to silence. It wasn't as dense as before however, so making him speak took a shorter time."

"Why didn't he speak?"

Vexen kept staring at Zexion.

"That I can't tell you. It's Zexion's personal business. Only the original six of us know that both Ienzo and Zexion were silent for a period of time because we were there. Now you know, but you can't tell anyone. The last thing I can tell you is this, Ienzo USED to speak."

Demyx was puzzled at the cryptic message.

"What did he write or something?"

Vexen shook his head and walked towards the door.

"I can't tell you anything else."

He stopped in the doorway and turned around.

"Zexion should wake up soon. When he does, tell him to take the medicine I've left for him and also tell him that Marluxia is taking care of everything. Keep him calm and keep him in bed."

Demyx stared at him in confusion as he man left.

Marluxia was storming through the halls looking for their fifth member.

He was going to make Lexaeus pay for upsetting Vexen and raping Zexion.

Marluxia knew how deeply Vexen cared about Zexion and since he was Vexen's boyfriend, he was basically Zexion's second dad.

He would never admit it, but he rather liked the sixth member.

Zexion was quiet and helpful and he was affectionate towards those he liked.

Marluxia was one of the only members that had seen any of Zexion's affection though.

He hung around Vexen enough to see the way Zexion acted around Vexen and it was obvious after a while that it was very different from the way he acted around anyone else.

He finally found Lexaeus glaring at a wall in the Gray Area.

"You!" he yelled angrily as he ran up to the man. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Lexaeus was surprised at the sudden interruption but then his face turned into a scowl.

"What are you talking about?" he asked deciding to act like he didn't know what Marluxia was talking about.

"Why the hell did you do that to Zexion?" he demanded.

Lexaeus narrowed his eyes and grabbed Marluxia by the top of his coat.

"What the hell do you know?"

Marluxia was slightly taken aback by the sudden movement, but he didn't let it show.

"I know that you nearly destroyed him with what you did! Why the hell did you rape him?"

"That doesn't concern you, XI!"

"Yes it does! The state Zexion is in is affecting Vexen!" He summoned some thorn-covered vines and slammed them into the bigger man. Lexaeus let go of him in surprise and Marluxia took a threatening step forwards him. "Whatever affects Vexen, affects me! And since I'm going to be your Superior soon, that's a huge mistake!"

Anger radiated from the botanist and the bigger man backed down.

He could get back at Vexen for telling Marluxia about their…'talk' later and he would definitely be paying Zexion a visit later.

Arranging his face into one of apology, he bowed to the botanist.

"I'm sorry, sir."

"See that it doesn't happen again," Marluxia said coldly before turning and walking away.

"It won't," Lexaeus said as he straightened, "not that you will know of anyway." He smiled. "You might want to watch your back, Superior," he spat.

* * *

><p>AN: Why does Zexion hide his face? The world may never know! Or, at least not Demyx. XD<p>

And I know that Marluxia's 'talk' with Lexaeus wasn't very interesting but I kept losing track of what I was writing...o.o Oh well!

But Lexy is even MADDER now! I can name several people who should probably be careful...ooh I LOOOOOVE writing suspense!

Anyway! See ya soon!


	6. Chapter 6

Demyx continued to stay with Zexion while he slept.

"What is your past Zexion? Why did you stop talking?" he wondered to himself.

He absentmindedly started playing with the boy's bangs again but pulled his hand back when he noticed.

"Vexen says that you hide your face because you don't want to remember. What don't you want to remember?"

Zexion mumbled something in his sleep.

"I know you're not going to tell me. I'm just an annoying, dumb, hyper musician to you." He sighed deeply. "But you're so much to me. You're beautiful and smart and dedicated. I wish you would stop pushing everyone away."

Zexion slowly opened his eyes and blinked.

"W-What?" he asked as he looked around. "Where am I?" He spotted Demyx sitting next to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Vexen asked me to watch over you while he was working. He said to tell you to take your medicine," he pointed to the small vial of pills sitting on the bedside table, "and that Marluxia is dealing with Lexaeus."

Zexion's visible eye widened.

"What?" he cried as he tried to get out of the bed. Demyx got up quickly and pushed him down. "Why is he doing that? He's going to get himself killed!"

"Zexion! Zexion! Calm down!"

The boy stopped struggling and raised his face to look at Demyx hovering over him.

"W-What?"

"It's okay. Marluxia got back half an hour ago and he was fine! Completely fine! No injuries!"

Zexion stared at him.

"R-Really?"

Demyx nodded happily.

"Yep! He just told Lex that what he did was wrong and as his to-be-Superior, it better not happen again!"

Zexion sat back and looked down.

Demyx watched him carefully for a few moments.

"Zexy?" Zexion raised his head to look at him. "Can I ask you something?"

The boy was quiet before he nodded slowly.

"Why…" Demyx took a deep breath. "Why do you cover your face with your hair?"

Zexion's eye widened again and his right hand leapt to sit on the hair covering his face.

"N-None of your business!"

Demyx stared at him curiously.

"What's wrong? What did I say?"

He remembered what Vexen had told him and mentally beat himself.

"I'm sorry Zexy. I didn't mean to upset you."

He put his hand on Zexion's free one gently.

Zexion jumped slightly and tried to pull his hand back, but Demyx held it tightly.

"Please let go of my hand Demyx," he whispered.

"No."

Zexion looked scared and Demyx felt bad, but he refused to let go.

"Please Demyx. This is uncomfortable for me."

"No Zexion. I have to tell you something."

"W-What?"

"You mean the most to me. I know you just want me to go away all the time, but I like you so much."

He put his hand on Zexion's cheek and felt a heat rush to it as he blushed.

"Y-You like me?" he stuttered.

Demyx nodded.

Zexion blushed deeper and looked down.

"I like you too."

Demyx felt like fainting.

Instead he leaned forward and gently kissed the boy.

Zexion was frozen for a little while before he started to kiss back.

Demyx smiled and his hand started to slip up Zexion's arm to the other side of his face.

When his hand touched the bangs that covered Zexion's face, the boy pulled back.

He put his hand back on his hair.

"Please don't," he begged.

"Why do you hide your face?"

Zexion looked away.

"It's nothing," he whispered.

"If it was nothing, you wouldn't make such a big deal out of it."

Zexion seemed to be deep in thought.

"Demyx," he started, making eye contact with the blond. "Do you love me?"

Demyx was surprised by the question.

"Yes," he answered automatically. "I love you so much. I love you more than anything else."

"And why do you want to see my face so badly?"

"Because I want to see how beautiful you are."

Zexion stiffened.

"And seeing my face will tell you how 'beautiful' I am?"

"You're already beautiful and I bet the other side of your face is as beautiful as the rest of you."

"If I show you, will you promise not to tell anyone else what you see?"

Demyx was confused, but nodded.

"Okay," he said slowly.

He pulled his hair back slowly and Demyx gasped.

Zexion let his hair fall back and looked away.

"I knew you would do that," he said sadly.

Demyx reached out and pushed the hair behind his ear to study his face better.

He stared at the jagged cut that ran down his face, across the center of his eye.

His finger reached out and touched it gently.

Zexion flinched and pulled back.

"Zexion," he started. "Are you blind?"

The boy nodded.

"In that eye."

Demyx stared at him before pushing him against the headboard.

"What happened?"

Zexion stared at him with a wide eye.

"D-Demyx! S-Stop it!" he cried in terror.

Demyx paused before he pulled back.

"Sorry. I was just worried."

Zexion looked away.

"Will you tell me what happened?"

Zexion shook his head.

"Please?"

"No. I don't want to talk about it."

Demyx wanted to know, but knew not to push him so instead he leaned forward and kissed him again.

Zexion seemed to accept that as a valid change of subject and kissed him back.

"I love you Zexion," Demyx whispered.

Zexion was shocked.

"R-Really?"

"Yes. I love you. Even with your blind eye."

Zexion blushed and smiled.

"Thank you Demyx. I love you too."

Neither of them noticed the man watching them around the edge of the door as they resumed kissing.

"You're mine Zexion," he growled. "No one else's." He turned around and walked away. "I'll get you back for that later."

* * *

><p>AN: Someone asked me to work on this so I decided that I had waited long enough to figure out what to do next. XD<p>

Zexy is blind in the eye he hides. That's why he grew his hair out. If you had been paying attention, you would have already known that he had an injury to his eye.

And...is that all I wanted to say? ... Oh yeah! So there's the Zemyx I promised! ^_^

Anyway! See ya soon!


	7. Chapter 7

Demyx made sure that Zexion took his medicine before he would let him get some rest.

He waited until he was deeply sleeping before he got up and walked out of the room.

Leaving Zexion alone wasn't something he really wanted to do, but he really needed to talk to Vexen.

He found Vexen in his lab, but he certainly wasn't working on an experiment.

"AHH!" he yelled in terror and put his hands over his eyes as he ran back out of the room.

"Damn it," he heard Marluxia mutter.

Vexen blushed and rearranged his cloak before slipping off the lab table.

"You can come back in now Demyx," he called.

"Are you dressed?"

"Yes Demyx."

"Okay."

Demyx walked in with his hands still covering his eyes.

"It's fine Demyx. You can take your hands away now."

Demyx peeked through his fingers and saw that both Vexen and Marluxia looked as if they had just been talking rather than anything else.

"What did you want?" Marluxia asked with a frown.

"I just came out to talk to Vexen while Zexion was asleep, but I don't remember why now."

"Then can you leave so we can finish?" Marluxia growled as he put his arms back around Vexen.

Vexen blushed again and pushed his boyfriend off.

"Marluxia stop it!"

The pinkette glared but kept his hands to himself.

"Umm…I don't have anything to say anymore so I'm just going to go," Demyx said slowly before he walked out of the room.

Marluxia pounced on Vexen as soon as the last of the musician was out of the door.

* * *

><p>Demyx walked towards his room while deep in thought.<p>

He could have used a portal, but for some reason the thought didn't cross his mind.

His mind was racing as he walked through the gray halls.

He didn't notice the sound of feet approaching.

If he had, he would have wondered why someone else was walking the hallways.

The person caught up to him and slammed him into a wall face first.

"Ow!" he protested.

"What were you doing to my Zexion?" a voice demanded in his ear.

"What you talking about Lexaeus?"

"I saw you kissing him! Zexion is mine!"

Demyx tried to throw the big man off his back, but no success.

"You abuse Zexion! He doesn't deserve that!"

"Zexion has been mine for years! Since before you were around!"

"Well it's time to change that!"

"I've marked Zexion in a way that isn't up for dispute! He shouldn't have forgotten it, but I guess that it was in his past life and it slipped his mind."

"What are you talking about?"

"There's no way that you would know! I put my mark on Zexion many years ago, when he was Iezno!"

Demyx was confused until he remembered what he seen recently.

"Wait! Are you trying to say that you did that to Zexion's eye?"

"Yeah."

Demyx was overcome with rage and threw the man off of him.

He pinned the man to the wall instead.

"How long have you been abusing him? What else have you done to him?"

Lexaeus laughed in his face.

"Because I really want to tell you that."

Demyx glared at him and pulled his hand back to hit him.

Lexeaus used his opportunity to push Demyx away.

Demyx stumbled back several steps from the man's force.

The man advanced on him and backed him into a wall.

Before Demyx could move out of the way, Lexaeus put a hand next to his face.

Demyx looked at him with as much fury he could muster.

He wasn't about to let any of his fear show.

"Now are you going to forget or am I going to have to make you?" he threatened.

Demyx was defiant.

"I'm going to let the Superior know what you're doing!" he spat.

Lexeaus narrowed his eyes.

"Bad choice," he said in a dangerous tone.

He cracked his knuckles and leaned in closer.

"You're not going to remember anything after this."

Demyx closed his eyes and waited.

If he had to go through this to keep Zexion out of pain, he would do it as often as necessary.

"Go ahead," he muttered.

He was determined to take whatever Lexeaus had in store for him and he wasn't going to forget it.

"This will be fun," Lexeaus with a grin as he closed in.

* * *

><p>Vexen was in the middle of a very intense kiss with Marluxia when Demyx fell through the door.<p>

He opened his eyes to see what the disturbance was.

When he saw Demyx, he groaned.

He pushed Marluxia away, who practically snarled at being interrupted again.

"Calm down Mar," Vexen shot at him.

He turned back to Demyx and noticed something was wrong.

"Demyx?" he asked as he walked forward. "Are you okay?"

The blond didn't move.

"DEMYX!" Vexen yelled as he ran over to him and dropped down beside him.

He rolled the man onto his front and studied him.

His eyes were closed and he seemed to be breathing slower than usual.

Vexen noticed his cloak was too big for him and that parts of it seemed hard and crusty.

Confused, he pulled it open and fell backwards.

"Vexen!" Marluxia yelled in concern.

"I-I'm fine," he called back in a shaky voice. "It's just Demyx."

He looked at the musician again.

Demyx looked much like Ienzo had that one night.

He was covered in blood and bruises, but also quite naked under the cloak.

"Demyx…" Vexen whispered sadly.

He had known for a while that Demyx had liked Zexion and thought it was a good thing for the boy.

He had been counting on Demyx to help Zexion trust people again, but no he was staring at the same state that he had once seen his adoptive son in.

Tears prickled at Vexen's eyes and he started to cry quietly.

"Demyx…"

* * *

><p>AN: Can you guess what happened? D:<p>

Lexaeus is really a bad guy in this story but he has to be to fit.

Poor Demy. He's got to be in a world of pain. :( And Zexy is gonna be so upset when he finds out.

But what did you think about the MarVex I slipped in there? XD Beautiful, no? *laughs*

Anyway! See ya soon!


	8. Chapter 8

Demyx was put in the room with Zexion and another bed was rolled in for him.

Zexion blamed himself for the state the blond was in.

He knew he shouldn't have kissed him, but he wanted Demyx not Lexaeus. He wanted Lexaeus out of the picture.

Every thought about what had happened was burned into his brain until he couldn't take it anymore.

He waited until Vexen was asleep before slipping out of his bed and into the lab.

Crossing it quietly, he found a High Potion that he had hidden in case of emergency and put it in his pocket.

He pulled a few regular Potions out of his secret store and kept all but two of those in his pocket.

The other two he drank to regain some strength.

* * *

><p>A portal opened up and he stepped out of it.<p>

He looked around to make sure he was in the right area because he hadn't used a portal in a while.

The door in front of him was the one he was aiming for and he smiled slightly.

He pushed it open and walked inside.

The brute was fast asleep in his bed and he came up to him.

Lexaeus seemed to know he was there because he woke up and stared at him.

"Zexion?" he asked. "It's about time you came back to me."

Zexion frowned.

"No. I didn't come back to you. I came here to LEAVE you."

Lexaeus stared at him.

"That's weird. It sounded like you just said you were going to leave me. Me? The person who loves who as much as possible without a heart?"

Zexion felt anger flare up inside him.

"Love me?" he choked out. "LOVE me?" He laughed. "You never loved me. You loved to abuse me; to take your anger out on me and never make it up to me. I wanted to believe that you could change just so I wouldn't have to be afraid of you anymore!"

"Afraid of me? When have I ever treated you badly?"

Zexion's anger turned to rage.

"When HAVEN'T you treated me badly? You've beaten me, raped me, and done this!" He pulled his bangs out of his face to show the long scar.

"That was my way of claiming you!"

"I didn't want to be claimed by you!" he screamed.

Zexion was glad he had put up an illusion to stop any sound from escaping the room.

Lexaeus gaped at him.

"And I told you that I didn't want you! And then you beat the man I love!"

Anger filled Lexaeus's eyes and he leapt at Zexion.

"You're mine! Not his!" he yelled.

Zexion moved out of his way so he crashed into the wall.

"I love him! It's not up to you to decide who I'm allowed to be with!"

Lexaeus spun around to face him, a trickle of blood making a trail down his forehead.

"Yes it is! I was the one who protected you and you started looking at other people! What kind of repayment is that?"

"You're also the one that locked me in closets so I couldn't leave the castle! You're the one who would punish me for making mistakes and being late when no one else minded! You're the one who starved me claiming that it would help me become stronger!"

Zexion was so overcome with fury about the way he had been treated in the past, that he strolled up to Lexeaus and hit him in the face.

Lexeaus was dazed by the hit and fell back to land on his butt.

Zexion towered over him, wrath emanating from him in waves.

"You are going to leave me alone. You are going to leave Demyx alone. And Vexen and Marluxia too. You are not to attack any of us again. Understand?"

Lexeaus nodded slowly, shocked.

Never before had he seen Zexion stand up for himself. And he had never seen him so angry before so he couldn't help but listen to him.

"Good."

Zexion pulled a Potion from his pocket and threw it at the man beneath him.

"Use that to clean yourself up," he said harshly. "And don't forget what I've said."

Lexeaus nodded again.

Zexion left the room and used a portal to re-enter his room.

He saw Demyx sleeping in his bed, shivering every now and then at the lack of warmth in the basements.

Zexion sighed piteously and climbed into the bed next to him.

Demyx shifted towards his warm body and wrapped his arms around him.

Zexion smiled and put his head next to Demyx's and closed his eyes.

"Good night Demyx," he whispered.

* * *

><p>When Demyx woke up, he was surprised to see Zexion's face inches away from his own.<p>

He smiled and leaned forward to kiss the sleeping boy.

Zexion's eyes shot open and he stared at Demyx.

Demyx bit his lip nervously and pulled back.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I just couldn't help it."

Zexion smiled at him.

"It's okay. I was just startled."

"Why are you in my bed Zexion?"

Zexion smiled brighter at him.

"Lexeaus is going to let me be with you now."

Demyx stared at him in shock.

"R-Really?" he stuttered.

Zexion nodded.

"Yes. I talked to him and made him see the way he was acting and I truly loved you. So he backed off. He's not going to be in the way anymore."

Demyx was still for a moment before he leapt on Zexion and kissed him furiously.

Zexion was taken aback for a moment before he kissed back.

"Now that I have you, you're not going to be with him ever again."

Zexion nodded again with a bright smile on his face.

"And he's never going to interfere in our relationship."

Demyx beamed and kissed him again.

* * *

><p>AN: Whoa...Zexion faced down Lexeaus...o.o<p>

And Lexeaus listened to him...wow

Yay for Demyx and Zexion!

The story could end here. Should I do that or do you want an epilogue?

Anyway! See ya soon!


	9. Epilogue

Zexion and Demyx were walking through Marluxia's garden, hand-in-hand.

They were smiling at each other.

All of their injuries had healed, including the ones in their head.

They had only been released by Vexen that morning and they were desperate to get some fresh air.

Marluxia's garden wasn't only beautiful, but it was private.

Demyx led Zexion to an enclosed area and pulled a blanket out of the basket he was carrying in his other hand.

He let go of Zexion and spread the blanket on the ground.

"Sit," he said as he gestured to the blanket.

Zexion blushed slightly and sat down.

Demyx sat down next to him and pulled him close.

"I love you, Zexion," he whispered as he stared into Zexion's eyes.

Zexion blushed darker.

"I love you too, Demyx."

Demyx smiled and took the boy's hands again.

Zexion looked down to hide his face.

Demyx noticed and put his arms around Zexion.

The boy buried his face into Demyx's shoulder and Demyx rubbed his back.

"I'm glad you made Lexaeus understand," he said quietly. "If you hadn't, we would still be in Vexen's care and terrified of what might happen."

Zexion shivered.

"I don't have to lock my door at night anymore. Or use my illusions to disguise myself."

"Or let him hurt you anymore," Demyx added gently as he brushed Zexion's bangs out of his face to see his eye. He ran a finger down the scar and Zexion closed his eyes tightly. "I wish I could get rid of that for you and give you your sight back."

Zexion looked at his lap and shrugged.

"I've gotten used to it. I've had several years to accept the fact."

Demyx's face was sad.

"I know, but you're beautiful face is marred and though it doesn't bother me, I know it's not something you want to have."

Zexion sighed.

"There's nothing I can do about it."

Demyx smiled and pulled something out of his pocket.

"Are you sure?"

Zexion stared at the bottle.

"W-What is that?"

"The way to get rid of your scar." Zexion seemed uncertain. "Want to try it?"

Zexion nodded slowly.

Demyx pulled the cork out of the bottle.

"Open up."

Zexion closed his eyes and opened his mouth so Demyx could pour the liquid into it.

"Well?" Demyx pressed.

Zexion slowly opened his eyes and gasped.

"What is it?"

"I-I can see," he said shakily. "Out of both eyes."

Demyx smiled wider and hugged Zexion tightly.

"I KNEW it would work!"

Zexion blushed again.

"Thank you Demyx," he whispered. "For everything."

"You're welcome."

Demyx lay down and pulled Zexion with him so he was lying on his chest.

They stared up at the sky and watched the clouds move.

Neither said anything and just enjoyed the moment.

* * *

><p>Marluxia was leading Vexen through the halls.<p>

"Slow down! Where are we going?"

Marluxia grinned.

"I can't tell you. It's a surprise!"

Vexen sighed and followed Marluxia.

He didn't really care about the man's childish whim, but it couldn't hurt to indulge him.

Marluxia dragged him into his lab and turned to face him.

"Close your eyes," he ordered.

"Oh come on Mar!" Vexen protested.

Marluxia crossed his arms and frowned.

"Fine!"

Vexen sighed and closed his eyes.

He felt the other man take his hand and lead him into another room.

Marluxia pushed him gently onto something soft and he heard rustling.

"Wait here."

Vexen leaned back against whatever he was sitting on, trying to make himself comfortable while he waited.

Marluxia walked into another room for a short time then walked back out.

"Okay," he whispered. "You can open your eyes now."

Vexen opened his eyes and gasped.

He was sitting on a seat of flowers and Marluxia was kneeling in front of him.

"W-What are you doing?" he stuttered.

Marluxia smiled warmly at him.

"I love you, Vexen," he started. "I don't want anyone else to be able to hurt you. I want to protect you and have you be only mine."

"W-What do you mean?"

Marluxia reached into his pocket and pulled a small, silver band out.

Vexen stared at it.

"A-Are you serious?"

Marluxia nodded.

"Vexen. Number Four in our strange organization, The Chilly Academic. Will you be mine?"

Vexen blushed and nodded.

Marluxia smiled brighter and slipped the ring on his love's finger.

Vexen hugged him tightly.

"I love you, Vexen."

"I love you too, Marluxia."

* * *

><p>AN: Ugh. Such a cheesy ending!<p>

Oh well. At least it's done now and I didn't just throw something together. I honestly thought about what to write and worked on it.

So 'Refuge' is over! Demyx and Zexion were so happy together, Marluxia and Vexen got married (eventually and Zexion and Demyx were in the wedding. ;)), and Lexaeus never bothered them again! THE END! :D


End file.
